{"id":9851,"date":"2022-04-05T06:09:49","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T06:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/nft\/how-nfts-took-over-the-grammys\/"},"modified":"2022-04-05T06:09:55","modified_gmt":"2022-04-05T06:09:55","slug":"how-nfts-took-over-the-grammys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/nft\/how-nfts-took-over-the-grammys\/","title":{"rendered":"How NFTs Took Over the Grammys"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NFTs have officially hit the music mainstream.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First, we saw the announcement of Coachella\u2019s debut NFT drop in February. A month later, we saw several NFT experiences hosted at SXSW, including a 64-artist NFT gallery and of course, Doodles.<\/p>\n

Now, we\u2019ve just seen NFTs represented at the music industry\u2019s most prestigious awards show: the Grammys. In a recent announcement by the Recording Academy, Tezos-based NFT platform OneOf was revealed as the Grammys\u2019 official NFT partner. This is just the first phase of the Recording Academy\u2019s three-year plan to integrate NFTs into the overall Grammy experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NFTs even received some primetime airtime during the telecast when host Trevor Noah referenced Bored Ape Yacht Club as he joked about how touring was impacted by the pandemic: \u201cYou know it\u2019s been rough when your favorite artists go from trying to sell you music to trying to sell you pictures of digital monkeys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our recap of all the NFT-related action from a wild Grammys weekend in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

The Lead Up to the Grammys<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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The Recording Academy announced its partnership with OneOf a month in advance, with the unveiling of an exclusive NFT collection in early March. This collection was headlined by critically-acclaimed fine artist ThankYouX, 3D animator and Adult Swim contributor Andre Oshea, and Emmy-winner Emonee LaRussa.<\/p>\n

Each artist saw featured drops on <\/strong>OneOf\u2019s official website, beginning with LaRussa\u2019s collection on March 15th, Oshea\u2019s collection on the 22nd, and ending with ThankYouX\u2019s collection on the 28th. The latter featured the Grammys\u2019 signature gramophone immersed in the otherworldly 3D paintwork that ThankYouX is known for.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, why fix it?\u201d explains ThankYouX. \u201cWe decided well, why recreate the Grammy? Let\u2019s use my art and overlay it instead. So what you see is the official fully 3D render of the Grammy overlayed with my art and then the one-of-one that you can get is several layers. I think that that just kind of speaks more to my NFT side of things and some speak to art music, tech. So there\u2019s all these different layers that are being shown as you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buyers from these collections were treated to up to 51 unique NFTs with their purchase, as well as VIP access to several exclusive events at the Grammys.<\/p>\n

The unveiling of these collections was also accompanied by an announcement by OneOf that each NFT buyer had a chance to win a golden ticket \u2013 an all-expenses-paid trip to the Grammys on April 3rd.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Recording Academy and the Grammys is the most significant institution in the music industry that brings support, education, and awareness to all artists, and it\u2019s very important that OneOf partners with the Academy and the Grammys not only for this year, but for multiple years to bring NFT education to all artists and fans,\u201d says Lin Dai, co-founder and CEO of OneOf. <\/p>\n

Andre Oshea at the OneOf Grammys Afterparty. Courtesy of OneOf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the eve of the Grammys, OneOf sponsored Steve Aoki\u2019s pool party at Wet Republic and hosted a reception at Resorts World Las Vegas with rapper G-Eazy who is set to drop his own NFT project entitled \u201cThe Geralds\u201d on the platform. In an interview with nft now, G-Eazy explained that he has been curious about the NFT space for a while but wanted to learn as much as he could before taking the plunge and launching his own project: \u201cYou can\u2019t talk to a culture you don\u2019t belong to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, this is another art form, another way of expressing yourself, another way of connecting,\u201d G-Eazy says. \u201cI\u2019m the son of two visual artists. I grew up in museums and galleries. Music is my medium but it\u2019s all interconnected.\u201d<\/p>\n

NFTs at the Grammys<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On music\u2019s biggest night, ThankYouX, Andre Oshea, and Emonee LaRussa walked their first Grammys red carpet, mingled with the stars, and opined on how much the moment meant for the NFT space.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real big full-circle moment,\u201d explains Oshea. \u201cFor a long time in my career, I actually spent it making music with the creative goal of winning a Grammy. When the opportunity presented itself, I felt like this was the equivalent for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

For ThankYouX, the Grammys collaboration was the culmination of years spent working in the music space as his career progressed from street art to fine art to NFTs \u2013 from DJing and designing merchandise for A-list artists to building a collector base that includes musicians like Paul McCartney.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Grammys are one of the most iconic logos and awards that you can recognize,\u201d he said. I felt like it was an honor. This is my first official brand collaboration that I\u2019ve done in NFT space, so I felt like this was the one that made sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Emonee LaRussa at the OneOf Grammys Afterparty. Courtesy of OneOf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LaRussa brought her mother as her date to the awards ceremony and described the NFT that she contributed to the project as one of her \u201cproudest pieces to date.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow could I feel anything other than amazing? This is dope,\u201d she gushed. \u201cThis is my dream. As a kid, I always wanted to be in the music industry, but I cannot sing. I\u2019m not musically gifted at all, so making art was my way to get in, and the fact that I\u2019ve been in the music industry for years\u2026 it just seemed like this unattainable goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

At OneOf\u2019s Grammy afterparty at Hakkasan, NFTs continued to be the hot topic of conversation. VIPs wore badges adorned with QR codes that allowed them to claim free NFTs. Brazilian pop star Anitta and British group Jungle performed while celebrities like Mike Tyson enjoyed the ambiance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All in all, the stage was set for NFTs to continue their crossover into mainstream music culture when the Grammys return to their usual home \u2014\u00a0the newly rechristened Crypto.com Arena \u2014\u00a0in Los Angeles next year. Entering the second year of their three-year partnership, OneOf will also be there to help spread the word.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Grammys partnership and the Grammys NFT collection has already driven a massive amount of new users from around the world to our platform,\u201d says Dai. \u201cWe are excited to build on this foundation for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n